Suitability of Brightening/Anti-aging Formula with DMAE for Eye Area

Question

I have combination skin, aged 34, with blackheads and inflammation on my chin, nose, and forehead. I have blackheads on my nose and large pores on both cheeks. I also have fine lines on my forehead, dark circles, and slight fine lines under my eyes.

I have formulated a recipe with the following ingredients:

Alpha Arbutin 2%
Vitamin B3 4%
DMAE 4%
Glucosamine 4%
MSM 3%
Zinc PCA 1%
Xanthan gum 1%

The remaining ingredients are water and preservative.

My question is: Can this formula be used around the eye area?

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

Suitability of Your Formula for the Eye Area

Your proposed formula contains several ingredients known for their skin benefits, including brightening, anti-aging, and oil control. Let's consider its suitability for the delicate skin around the eyes, given your concerns about dark circles and fine lines.

Alpha Arbutin and Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) are beneficial for brightening and can help with the appearance of dark circles and uneven skin tone. Vitamin B3 is also known to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and strengthen the skin barrier.
Glucosamine can help improve skin hydration and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
MSM and Zinc PCA are primarily known for oil control and their benefits for acne-prone skin, which are relevant to other areas of your face but less directly for the eye area.
Xanthan Gum is a thickener and generally not an active ingredient for skin treatment.

However, the ingredient DMAE at a concentration of 4% in your formula requires careful consideration for the eye area. While DMAE is effective for skin firming and reducing the appearance of wrinkles, it can cause irritation, especially on thin and sensitive skin. The skin around the eyes is particularly delicate and prone to sensitivity.

Given that you have fine lines and dark circles under your eyes, and your skin is combination with some areas of inflammation, the eye area might be more sensitive. Using a formula with 4% DMAE directly around the eyes could potentially lead to irritation, redness, or a tingling sensation.

Conclusion:

While some ingredients in your formula are beneficial for the eye area, the concentration of DMAE at 4% might be too high for the delicate skin around the eyes and could cause irritation. It would be advisable to either:

Avoid applying this formula directly to the eye contour area.
Create a separate, milder formula specifically for the eye area, potentially using a lower concentration of DMAE or omitting it altogether and focusing on ingredients like Vitamin B3 and Glucosamine.

Always perform a patch test on a small area near the eye (but not too close) before applying any new product extensively to this sensitive area.